There is very little knowledge of where the words Se-Tswana and Bo-Tswana come from, only speculation exists:

The name Bechuana seems derived from the word chuana – alike, or equal – with the personal pronoun Ba (they) prefixed, and therefore means fellows or equals. Some have supposed the name to have arisen from some mistake of some traveller, who, on asking individuals of this nation concerning the tribes living beyond them, received the answer, Bachuana, “they (are) alike;” meaning “They are the same as we are,” and that this nameless traveller, who never wrote a word about them, managed to engraft his mistake as a generic term on a nation extending from Orange River to 18° south latitude…. The Bechuanas alone use the term to themselves as a generic. (Livingstone 1857:200/201)

Whether we accept Livingstone’s explanation of the etymology of the Tswana (as coming from tshwana, in current Setswana orthography) stem is not of major significance to our enquiry at this point (see Ramoshoana in Cole 1950:xx-xxii for criticism of this view). But many historians and grammarians agree that all the Tswana tribes identify themselves as members of a larger national unit – that of the Tswana cluster (Cole 1950:xx). They therefore call themselves Batswana and their language Setswana. Here I differ with Andersson and Janson in their claim that:

The idea of Setswana as one unified language, with one written form and only dialectal variation between the spoken forms is fairly recent… this was hardly the general view fifty years ago: at that time, a Mokwena might well argue that his language was Sekwena, not Setswana (1997:26).

There is enough compelling evidence dating back to the time before the missionaries codified the language, that the term Setswana included various “Setswana” dialects. This is adequately captured in the grammar books that I have quoted above, some travels records of explorers, and it is in no way a development of the past fifty years as Andersson and Janson would have us believe. But I would like to provide additional evidence that the concept of Setswana language is not as recent as it is claimed.

As far back as November 1806 the German, Hinrich Lichtenstein in Ueber der Beetjuans, published in 1807, which was later translated into English (see Lichtenstein, 1973:63), considered the Batswana a single linguistic group and wrote of ‘Beetjuana words’. He also lists in Upon the Language of the Beetjuans (1815:478-488) a vocabulary of The Beetjuan Language. And around the same time, Henry Salt (1814: appendix, xxvii) records A few words of the Mutshuana language copied from a manuscript journal of Mr Cowan. These words included, ‘sun’ let chãchi (letsatsi in current orthography); ‘moon’, werri (ngwedi); ‘much’ too na (tona) and ‘morning’ kom mo shu (kamoso). Campbell (1815:221) also lists Bootchuana Words in his Travels. Schapera records that,

The people among whom Moffat laboured at Kuruman were called Batlhaping (sing. Motlhaping). They were the southern-most tribe of the Bantu-speaking group collectively known as Batswana (usually written Bechuana or Bechwana) and the first group to come into contact with white people (Schapera, 1951:xv).

In 1857, Livingstone writes that Moffat had just completed translating ‘the Bible in the language of the Bechuanans, which is called Sichuana’. Lichtenstein (1930:407) also notes that,

Under the name of Betjuana, Sihtjuana, Muhtjuana, are to be included all the tribes that inhabit the country that extends from the river Kuruhman, as its most southern boundary thirty or forty days journey northwards; several tribes inhabiting this latitude extend quite to the eastern coast of Africa.

The weight of evidence that illustrates that Setswana has been regarded as a single language is weighty. The fact that a Mokwena might argue that he is speaking Sekwena and not Setswana as Andersson and Janson (1997) argue is a rather unconvincing way of attempting to cast doubt on the commonly known linguistic facts of this linguistic group. It may still be the case that a Mongwato man may argue that he is speaking Sengwato and not Setswana. Such statements should be interpreted as assertion of one’s identity with their tribe (or smaller group), to propagate and retain group pride. This is a well-known sociolinguistic fact that an attachment to a certain language or dialect may be used to signal group solidarity. But faced with the current data, we can only conclude that the compelling body of evidence points to the fact that Setswana has for a long time, at least two centuries, been the body label that includes the various Setswana dialects.[1]

[1]Anderson and Janson are however right in alluding to the fact that tribal names are reflected in the names of the languages with the prefix change. Thus Bangwaketse speak Sengwaketse; Bangwato, Sengwato; Bakwena, Sekwena; etc.This an extract from my Oxford University M.Phil thesis in General Linguistics

Nice topic. Batswana has always known themselves as Batswana. Some people may think the whites were un able to spell Batswana hence Bechuana but the term is as used by the Batlhaping and Barolong when referring to Batswana. That is a dialect just as Bangwato who are Bakwena pronounce words with “tl”. So basically all people who are refferd to as Sotho have their origin in Setswana. Thank you sir for not going with the flow.

Lucas

February 25, 2014, 4:50 pm

As the people who speak and understand the language What do we say rona? What does lefoko “tswana” mean since we are the language speakers? Why is it there are many names/words we do not understand and know the meaning to, yet they were born from the very culture. Is it because we try to understand our origin from white man’s perspective? Is it a thing of assuming their role of an “I-it” relationship where the “I” is them and “it” is anything African?

Sorry I will attempt to answer your questions though perhaps not in the order that you ask them. First, “Why is it there are many names/words we do not understand and know the meaning to, yet they were born from the very culture. Is it because we try to understand our origin from white man’s perspective? Is it a thing of assuming their role of an “I-it” relationship where the “I” is them and “it” is anything African?” Many names/words remain unknown to many of us because of a variety of reasons. The first reason is that Setswana has a fairly short history as a written language; less than 200 years old. This means that many old words were not recorded in dictionaries until some were recorded in the first Setswana-English dictionary by Rev. Brown around the late 1800s. Because of this, many words/names’ meanings remained unknown. Sadly, some words were lost forever, never to be regained anywhere. Fortunately some of the old words were given to children as names in the past. Although they vanished from general us, they remained as personal names/surnames. For instance sechele, tshosa (not the one meaning to frighten) and tshane. Many people don’t know what these words mean because they have fallen off ffrom general Setswana use. They are actually names of different types of spears. Other words have fallen off usage largely because of a change in the lifestyle of the Batswana. For instance, because many Batswana do not live in rural areas, they have lost the knowledge of names of plants, animals, colours, grasses, birds etc.
You also say: “Fa e le gore ruri lefoko “tswana” ga le na tlhaloso, animals are far better since the sounds they produce to interact has got some meaning no matter how insignificant.” The problem is not that lefoko Tswana ga le na tlhaloso. The problem is a different one. It is actually that Batswana or informants have competing explanations of the etymology of ‘tswana’ all of which cannot be verified through independent evidence, in part because Setswana has a short written history.

Lucas

March 24, 2014, 9:51 am

Ke leboga go menagane Prof. Yes, old Batswana informants did not always agree on a few things, especially on given names and totems venerated. This was the case experienced by P.L.Breutz in early 1900, who besides his ethnocentric tendencies, recorded a great deal on the lives of old batswana.

I agree “that Setswana has a fairly short history as a written language; less than 200 years old. This means that many old words were not recorded in dictionaries” In terms of percentages most of Batswana history is oral and as such transferred in like manner. This tradition is still in use but ignored by academia.

If one attempts to study and understand Setswana and I ignore a tradition which makes-up most of its history, this suggest that one is studying it from a vacuum. Oral tradition informs us of what Batswana or Setswana is but this tradition has no scholastic order and there’s no attempt to give it order and definition. A set of rules that needs to be adhered to in order to give this tradition disciplinary order.

This has proven difficult to realise using the available scholarly disciplines. Thank you once again

Lucas

March 24, 2014, 10:03 am

Sechele, Tshosa & Tshane: Do these refer to; Stabbing spear, Throwing spear and Broad-blade or cutting spear?
My other question is what are the available mythological origins of Batswana?

eita, I am in Bloemfontein just want to trace my family tree as my grand parents have past away without giving any direction. we belong to the Bakubung clan ba aga monnakgori but I could not find any of such clan.
He claimed that his father changed his surname from MOOKOA to MACHUISA of which was his name.

Prince Michael

January 10, 2016, 9:33 am

Sechuana / setswana has a 6000 plus year written history my people bua!! Realise the hieroglyphs of ancient Egypt directly sound out ancient and even modern day setswana. I wish I knew your language but I do not. The language spoken in private among the kings and priests of Egypt. Secluded from the common folks. Sechuana is one of the original 12 languages of the earth. Know your self and Know your greatness! Google “Black Roots Science” and thany me later… Visit my Facebook page and please provide me any insight so I can further enlighten my black people here in America of our greatness.

Ke itumelela gobe ke kopane le batswana ba etsho ba ba itlhaloganyang sentle. Kena jalo le malatsi ale mabedi ke ngongorega ka motso wame jaaka Mokubung feela kesa itse ka botebo. I grew up within the sotho speakingpeople and one thing I learnt is that they do not compromise their background and they pass their culture c arefully from one generation to the other. Please note that more knowledge from you will help great deal. I am even planning to study Tswana in depth.

Lefoko le la “tswana’ ebile gape le kaela gongwe le go arogana. Go arogana ga mephato ene e le sephiri se se tona maraganela teng a bana ba mpa.
The word ‘Tswana’ means to go apart or to disperse. I was told by the elders that Tswana is based on an ancient military strategy that capitalised on an element of surprise by ancient Batswana kings where some warriors and royalty were placed in different locations far apart from the main village.
The name ‘Tswana’ dates back millions of years ago to the evolution era.